Home Glossary Support

Dominant Definition  

The dominant is the fifth scale degree of any diatonic scale. It is called the dominant because it is next in importance in the Western harmonic system after the first scale degree, the tonic. In the do solfège system, the dominant note is sung as So. A dominant triad is a major chord, which consists of a root note, a major third, and a perfect fifth and is represented by the Roman numeral 'V' in the major scale.